International Update

In addition to working in China, APA is active in a number of global organizations, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

APA Outreach and International Director Jeff Soule, FAICP, serves as APA's representative on the board of US ICOMOS, a non-governmental organization working with the UN to support the cultural heritage of natural and manmade sites. Patricia O'Donnell, AICP, also serves on the group working to conserve historic urban landscapes. Jeff was invited to present a paper on U.S. planning approaches to heritage conservation at the most recent international meeting sponsored by UNESCO.

Both national and international partners — representing 20 countries — convened in Olinda, Brazil, to discuss guidelines for managing modern interventions in historic cities in the Americas. The gathering provided a valuable opportunity to deliver an overview of U.S. planning practices and to reach out to several countries with which APA has had little contact. In addition to the four-day working session, Jeff met with representatives of Brazil's planning and architectural organizations, including the Vice-Chair of São Paulo University's Planning Department.